The Battle of Jericho and Rahab LESSON Joshua 1-4 10 Old Testament 4 Part 2: Joshua Leads God’s People SUNDAY MORNING Old Testament 4 Class Attendance Sheet provided in activity sheets (NOTE: The document is interactive, allowing the teacher to type in the Class, Teacher, and the children’s names.) SCRIPTURE REFERENCES: Joshua 1-4; 6; Hebrews 11:30-31; James 2:25 MEMORY WORK: YOUNGER CHILDREN: “…[D]o not be afraid…for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). OLDER CHILDREN: “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). SONGS AND FINGERPLAYS (SEE END OF LESSON FOR WORDS): A song book and audio recordings of many of the curriculum songs are available on the curriculum Web site. • “Rahab and the Spies” • “Walls of Jericho” • “Israel Crosses Jordan into Canaan” • “Jericho’s Falling” • “Fall of Jericho” LESSON VISUALS AND TEACHING AIDS (NOTE ANY DISCLAIMERS): • See AP’s Pinterest page for ideas on bulletin boards, visuals, crafts, etc. [DISCLAIMER: Pins may sometimes need to be adjusted to be Scriptural.] • God’s People and Joshua Bible fact cards (provided under “O.T. 4 Bible Facts” on curriculum Web site) • “Summary of the Bible” from “Kids Prep” CD by Jeff Miller • Betty Lukens’ felt pieces • Joshua A Beka Flash-A-Card Series (DISCLAIMER: use the cards, not the lesson book) • Map of the Conquest of Canaan (provided in map section of curriculum Web site) 3/1/18 www.apologeticspress.org Page 75 O.T. 4—Part 2: Joshua Leads God’s People PERSONAL APPLICATION: If I believe that God is with me and will help me, I can deal with my problems and not be afraid. LESSON STARTS HERE TEACHING ALERTS: • Nowhere in Scripture is lying described as an acceptable practice, regardless of the situation. Contrary to what some have asserted about Rahab, the Bible does not indicate that her lie was acceptable to God. For more information on the subject, see the first “Recommended Reading for Teachers” box. INTRODUCTION (YOUNGER CHILDREN): In our Bible lesson last week, we learned that Joshua became the new leader of the Israelites after Moses died. Today, we will learn what a mighty and strong leader Joshua was and how God kept His promise to Joshua to help him in everything he did. INTRODUCTION (OLDER CHILDREN): Review last week’s lesson. The Israelites had moved from place to place in the desert for 40 long years. Now it was finally time to move into the land of Canaan, the land God had promised them. They knew they would have to fight many battles against the idol worshippers in Canaan, but God promised that He would help them and that they would beat all their enemies. The first city they came to was Jericho, and God chose a very interesting way for the Israelites to conquer it. He wanted to make sure they knew He was in control, and they could not conquer the new land without His help. POINTS TO EMPHASIZE: 1. During the 40 years that the Israelites moved from place to place in the wilderness, Joshua had been Moses’ chief helper. After Moses’ death, Joshua became the leader of the Israelites, taking Moses’ place. God promised to be with Joshua and to help him in everything he did, just as He had been with Moses. God told Joshua never to be afraid of troubles that would come his way, but to be strong and courageous, trusting Him completely. 2. The Israelites camped on the east side of the Jordan River (near Shittim) [shuh-TEEM]. Joshua chose two men to sneak into Jericho, a city on the other side of the Jordan, and look over the city before they attacked it. While the two spies were in Jericho, a woman named Rahab gave them a place to rest and to protect them from the people in her city. The Battle of Jericho and Rahab Page 76 NOTES: Rahab was indeed a harlot, or prostitute. (Children 4th grade and older may be more familiar with the word “hooker.” Use your discretion about these details with your particular age group.) The Hebrew word unmistakably tells us she was one who made her living through immorality. Her life changed drastically after the destruction of Jericho; she was taken in by the Israelites and eventually is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Himself, as well as in the books of Hebrews and James as an example of great faith. Jericho was a very important city in Canaan. Important trade routes probably went through it. It was five or six miles from the north end of the Dead Sea and 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem, in the Jordan River valley, at the foot of the mountains of western Canaan. The city was near the main pass into those mountains, and so it was essential that this city be captured first. 3. The king of Jericho found out that there were two strangers in his city, and he heard that they were at Rahab’s house. The king had heard about the great multitude of people called Israelites who were fighting against many of the neighboring nations, and he was afraid of what the Israelites would do to his city. He sent soldiers to Rahab’s house to find the two spies, but she had hidden them on her roof, under stalks of flax. Flax is a plant used to make linen cloth. 4. When the king’s soldiers couldn’t find the two spies, they left and began searching the countryside. Rahab protected the spies because she believed in God and what He would do through the Israelites. Because of her faith, the spies promised her that she and her family would not be harmed when the Israelites attacked Jericho. She helped them escape by a red rope hung from her window. When the Israelite army came back, Rahab put that same red cord in her window, as a sign that she and her household were not to be harmed. RECOMMENDED READING FOR TEACHERS: See the article “Did God Approve of Rahab’s Lie?” by Eric Lyons and “Situation Ethics” by Dave Miller on the Apologetics Press Web site for a response to the idea that God condones sinful behavior in certain situations. 5. The spies went back to Joshua, giving him a good report of what they had seen, and telling him about Rahab’s help. Early the next morning, all the Israelites moved to the edge of the Jordan River and spent the day praying and preparing for the great battle that was to come. The following day, priests picked up the Ark of the Covenant (by poles on each side of the chest, as prescribed by God’s directions) and walked to the edge of the Jordan. As soon as their feet touched the water, the River stopped flowing and bunched up into a heap further upstream so that once again the Israelite army could cross over on dry ground. [The families and livestock remained east of the Jordan (Joshua 1:14).] The priests stood in the middle of the riverbed, holding the Ark of the Covenant, until all the people had crossed. Twelve of the leaders of the tribes (“chief men”) each picked up a large stone from the riverbed and stacked them on the riverside, as a memorial to future generations of the miraculous crossing of the Jordan. When the Israelite men had crossed to the other side, the priests Page 77 O.T. 4—Part 2: Joshua Leads God’s People also crossed over. As soon as the priests stepped out of the riverbed, the waters began flowing once again. 6. The Israelites went on to Gilgal, near Jericho, to prepare for battle and to observe the Passover. While they were camped there, God stopped sending them the manna they had been eating for almost 40 years in the wilderness (Joshua 5:12). 7. When the Israelites were by Jericho, the Commander of the Lord’s Army appeared to Joshua with His sword drawn (ready for battle) and gave him instructions on how to conquer Jericho. NOTES: The Commander of the Lord’s Army in this passage is clearly deity in some human-like (physical) form. The Commander accepted worship (Joshua 5:14)—an act reserved solely for God (Acts 10:25-26; Revelation 19:10; Matthew 4:10). Joshua 5:15 is also similar to Exodus 3:5, where God speaks to Moses from the burning bush, telling him to remove his sandals since he was standing on holy ground. 8. Joshua gave the people their instructions exactly as God gave them to him: seven priests with rams’ horns were to march ahead of the Ark of the Covenant, the fighting men of Israel went before the priests, and a rear guard followed the Ark. (This arrangement would have been protection for the priests and the Ark at all times, from the front and the rear.) This group was to circle Jericho one time a day for six days, making no noise at all (no shouting or talking), with only the sound of the trumpets being heard. 9. Beginning early on the seventh day, this same massive group of Israelites marched around Jericho, not one time, but seven times. At the end of the seventh time, Joshua gave the order for all the people to shout as loud as they could. When the trumpets were sounded and the people shouted, the walls of the city of Jericho fell down flat (apparently, except for the wall where Rahab’s house was).